


021 - Books & Boys

by storiesaboutvan



Category: Catfish and the Bottlemen (Band)
Genre: Cute meet, F/M, Fluff, Mini Fic, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-19
Updated: 2019-01-19
Packaged: 2019-10-12 13:25:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17468426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/storiesaboutvan/pseuds/storiesaboutvan
Summary: A fic about: Reading out loud. And Van McCann.





	021 - Books & Boys

**Author's Note:**

> The things Van says about reading and himself in this fic are real life things he said. Just so ya know. :/

Books and the bass guitar. They were easily the things you loved the most. Therefore, the fact that you got so much time on tour to read was the greatest surprise. You were travelling around the country with a bunch of other bands playing shows every other day, and between you spent the hours hanging out with amazing people or curled up someone with a novel. There could not have been a happier person alive.

It was a perfectly warm day; the sun wasn't bright or burning. You found a giant inflatable couch backstage and stretched out. You were about halfway through The Natural Way of Things when someone stood next to you, casting a shadow over your body. You looked up. You recognised him as the singer of one of the other bands on tour. He was wearing dark sunglasses, a white half buttoned up shirt, and skinny jeans. He awkwardly held two bottles of water in one hand, and a book in the other.

"Hey," he greeted.

"Hi," you replied. He was cute.

"Um, I've seen you around and stuff. You read a lot, and I was just wondering if I could maybe borrow your reading space. I brought water," he said, holding out the bottles. You sat up and took one.

"Yeah! For sure. Sit," you said and patted the space next to you. He got comfy.

"I'm Van," and he held out a hand. You shook it.

"Y/N. What are you reading?"

"Mike Skinner's book. He's from-"

"The Streets, yeah. Is it good?"

"Just started it really. I'll let you know."

It was comfortable reading around Van. A few hours easily flew by before you got called to sound check. When you left you told him he could come read anytime.

Of course, he did. Half of the tour went by with you and Van looking for hidden nooks and comfy spaces to disappear into books together. It wasn't until Van pointed out how many books you'd already finished that you became suspicious of him.

"You've read like, twenty books this week,"

"This is eight,"

"You read quick,"

"My only skill,"

"Bass?"

"One of two skills," you edited, and you smiled at each other. "I'm not judging or anything, but… how far into that are you?" you asked, motioning to the book in his hand. Van's cheeks turned a light shade of peachy-pink. You hoped your tone came out how you meant it.

"I'm not a good reader," he told you, "I wanna be more into books but I can't visualise what the words are describing."

It was honest, and the little warm feeling in your heart and in your tummy that you felt every time Van was around doubled in size as soon as he said it.

"That's okay,"

"Do you think I'm stupid?" he asked in a tone so sincere that it was brutal.

"Oh God, no, Van, not at all," you said immediately and shifted your body to face him more. A few people walk past the beanbags you had commandeered.

"And I wasn't using the reading thing as like, a way to talk to or anything," he said smiling then. You hadn't even considered the books as a hook to hit on you. You smiled back. You had an idea, but you didn't know if it would make him feel worse. You trusted him to know you enough to know you weren't like that though.

"Maybe I could read it to you?" you asked gently. Van's head tilted to the side and he smiled and nodded. "Really?" He handed over the book and settled down like he was ready for bed. His hands under his head were his pillow. He looked at you, waiting. You laughed. "Alright," and you turned to where his bookmark was.

"No, start at the start. I don't even remember what I've read."

It carried on like that for another week. When you finished the last sentence and closed the book, Van looked at you with his big smile and dimples and you knew you were kind of fucked.

"Thank you," he said. You shook your head. "You're good, Y/N,"

"Good? Vague,"

"Want me to be specific?"

"Always,"

"Y/N, you are clever, pretty, a good reader, when you play bass you get this spacey look on ya face that I'm into, you're a good friend, I like the freckles on your face and arms, beautiful, funny, and also really hot." He knew what he'd done. The grin on his face told you so. You tried to not smile like an idiot, but it happened nonetheless. In the second you looked away to try to regain your composure he leant in kissed you. You kissed him back. When you put space between you and Van again, he said, "Can we read another one?" and it was the cutest goddamn thing you'd ever seen.


End file.
